The Pentacon Six System
by TRA

Lens Data Summary

Astro Lenses


The Astro company was apparently located in Berlin and is usually known as “Astro-Berlin”.  The lenses are reported to have been designed and originally sold in the 1930s.  We must remember that the superb Carl Zeiss Jena f/2.8 / 180mm Sonnar was designed in 1936, so we should not dismiss such lenses.  However, Astro lenses have been described by an experienced user as “not meeting today’s quality” and “in the league with Kilfitt or less, not Zeiss Jena”.  (Sam Sherman in Old Bridge, New Jersey)
 

Lens name Max aperture
& focal length
mm
No of
elements
Closest
focus
m
Color-Astrar f/2 / 150 5 2.2
Astro-Tachar f/2.3 / 150 4 2.2
Astro-Tachar f/1.8 / 150 (1) 4 2.2
Astro-Telestan f/3.5 / 200 4 2.5
Astro-Telestan f/3.5 / 300 4 3.5
Astro-Telestan f/4.5 / 500 4 7
Astro-Fernbild f/5 / 640 2 10
Astro-Fernbild f/5 / 800 2 16
Astro-Fernbild f/6.3 / 1000 2 25
Astro-Telestan f/10 / 2000 4 45
Notes
(1) This is incredibly fast for a lens of this focal length.  It is a very large and heavy lens!  It has appeared on eBay, where it sold for a very high price.

All these lenses are reported to have had a “click-stopped diaphragm (not pre-set)” – Gillespie, 1975.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This data is based on published sources.  I do not have any Astro lenses.
 
 
 

To go on to the next section, click below.
Next section (Dallmeyer lenses)


The Astro “Noctron” Tachar f/1.8 / 150mm lens
on a Praktisix IIA
My thanks to the collector who let me photograph this item

To go back to the beginning of the Lens Data section, click below and then choose the range of lenses that you want to read about.
Back to beginning of the Lens Data section

Home

© TRA May 2002, January 2012